A bill that would use medical marijuana to help fight opioid addiction has coasted to passage in the Illinois Senate. Under the bill, patients with a prescription for opioids would qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program on a temporary basis. Chris McLeod with HCI Alternatives, which operates dispensaries in Springfield and Collinsville, acknowledges critics claims the legislation would help the slow growing industry, but he says the goal is take a bite out of the opioid crisis.

McLeod notes you can't just add up the damage to society through coroners records.

Under the bill, patients would receive a 12-month temporary card to buy medical marijuana.